Newton Mearns care home to close following Care Inspectorate concerns

A Newton Mearns care home could face closure after The Care Inspectorate made a court application to close it down in order to protect the health and safety of residents.

The application was made for Greenlaw Grove care home’s closure citing an “unacceptable quality of care, leadership, staffing and environment”.

The owners were served with a formal improvement notice in August of last year following an inspection which raised serious concerns.

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The notice listed six areas which require urgent improvement, including the way medicine is kept and administered, staff numbers, training and registration; maintaining the hygiene, health and wellbeing of residents; and resident’s care plans.

However, the Care Inspectorate said sufficient progress had not been made.

A spokesman said: “Despite extensive involvement and support from the East Renfrewshire health and social care partnership, and inspectors, we are not satisfied that sufficient progress has been made by this care provider. This is not action we take lightly but is essential to protect the health, safety and wellbeing of residents.

East Renfrewshire council has also cancelled its care contract with the home, which is owned by Thistle Healthcare group.

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Residents and their families were notified of developments via letter on Friday, February 23.

Commenting Eastwood MSP, Jackson Carlaw said: “I will be keeping in close contact with council colleagues as this decision develops.

“There are 26 East Renfrewshire residents who will now require to be rehoused with many others now in limbo. This news will be daunting for many families, yet it reinforces the importance we in Eastwood put on care for our elders.”

East Renfrewshire MP, Paul Masterton added: “There have been longstanding concerns about Greenlaw Grove with the Care Inspectorate significantly revising their view on the quality of care provided.

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“It would have been remiss of the local Health and Social Care Partnership to continue to commission care with these concerns hanging over the provider and whilst it will be a concerning development for many it remains the correct decision by council colleagues.”

The home, which has a capacity for about 60 residents, opened in January 2015, describing itself as a “new concept in total care” for older people.